Dentists’ seniority pay problem on agenda

on 30 November 2011

The British Dental Association (BDA) has secured agreement from the Department of Health (DH) that the two bodies will work jointly to find a way of replacing the Seniority Pay Scheme for dentists.

Agreement was reached at a meeting between BDA General Dental Practice Committee chair, John Milne, and executive member, Eddie Crouch, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Earl Howe.

The meeting saw the BDA stress the urgency of finding a solution for dentists who are currently affected, while also making progress on a longer-term solution.

The Department acknowledged the anger of the profession at the loss of a scheme to which they feel they have contributed throughout their working lives, accepted that it would have been better to have resolved it sooner, and reiterated its desire to find an outcome that is acceptable and legal.

Dr Milne said: ‘We have made clear to the Department of Health the anger that the profession feels about both the proposal to scrap seniority pay before a suitable replacement scheme is in place and the protracted delay in resolving this issue.

‘Those frustrations have been acknowledged and understood. We have also stressed the need to find a way to protect those dentists who have already lost out.

‘It is now time to move forward and seek a mutually acceptable long-term solution that keeps this funding within dentistry. The department has committed itself to working with us to do exactly that and we look forward to beginning talks.’